Recreate exact output from this Linux diff command in a Windows System

Question

I'm losing my mind trying to recreate the output of the following Linux command in a Windows Environment:

diff --old-line-format='%L' --new-line-format='' --unchanged-line-format='' file1 file2 | grep -v '^$'

I can't install anything, not even Notepad++ plugins, since it's a corporate server. All I got to work with is CMD or PowerShell (as far as I can think of)

Closest I've gotten is the following Powershell 'script':

$file1 = Get-Content "file1.txt"
$file2 = Get-Content "file2.txt"

$only_in_file1 = $file1 | Where-Object {
    $_ -notin $file2
}

$only_in_file1

But it fails to show the exact same output I'd get in Linux. Let me explain,

file1:

#AK.70.1.1.5
ServerTokens Prod
Header always unset "X-Powered-By"
Header unset "X-Powered-By"
#AK.70.1.1.6
ServerSignature Off
AddServerHeader Off

#ServerTokens Prod
#ServerSignature Off
#AddServerHeader Off

file2:

blah blah blah
durr durr durr
ServerTokens Prod
blah blah blah
durr durr durr
ServerSignature Off
AddServerHeader Off

Expected output (what I'd get in Linux):

#AK.70.1.1.5
ServerTokens Prod
Header always unset "X-Powered-By"
Header unset "X-Powered-By"
#AK.70.1.1.6
ServerSignature Off
AddServerHeader Off
#ServerTokens Prod
#ServerSignature Off
#AddServerHeader Off

Actual output (what I get from PowerShell)

#AK.70.1.1.5
Header always unset "X-Powered-By"
Header unset "X-Powered-By"
#AK.70.1.1.6
#ServerTokens Prod
#ServerSignature Off
#AddServerHeader Off

You see, although I commented file2 lines in file1, and pasted them on a different place, it stills considers them as if they weren't different.

I really cant Wrap my head around this topic. It's been like 4 hours now. Not kidding.

Any idea is welcome!

I quess, it has to do with different (OS) line terminitions where Get-Content reads multiple (or all) lines as one item. What returns: $file1.Count in either case? — iRon
– iRon, Commented Dec 3, 2024 at 8:17
Exactly your guess, both counts return '1': imgur.com/a/OfmidE2 — rubén ruiz
– rubén ruiz, Commented Dec 3, 2024 at 22:56
If I do split them, it does count the accurate number of lines: imgur.com/a/oNBWDCA — rubén ruiz
– rubén ruiz, Commented Dec 3, 2024 at 22:59
Buuuut if I do the 'diff' with the lines, it stills doesn't return the expected output: imgur.com/a/6ioy3Ze — rubén ruiz
– rubén ruiz, Commented Dec 3, 2024 at 23:04
@rubénruiz could you put the first 10 lines of both files? and an example of result you want? Maybe can help us :) — Nifriz
– Nifriz, Commented Dec 4, 2024 at 10:44

mklement0 · Accepted Answer · 2024-12-07 23:42:42Z

0

Your PowerShell code yields the same result as your diff (+ grep) command, because both report only those lines from file1.txt that don't also exist in file2.txt and aren't empty.
In other words: the actual output is the expected result of this logic, and it's unclear why you expect different output:
- Your expected output suggests a different logic, which is: retrieve all lines from file1.txt that aren't empty; in other words: the content of file2.txt doesn't matter.
- Implementing this logic would simply be the following, i.e. to retrieve all non-empty lines from file1.txt:
```
@(Get-Content file1.txt) -ne ''
```

edited Dec 7, 2024 at 23:42

answered Dec 7, 2024 at 23:18

mklement0

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